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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Share the Sailor!

I must admit, I’m a little jealous of a few of my “Rum Buddies” this week. You see, on November 2-3 is the official dates of the 2012 Caribbean Beer and Rum Festival in Granada. But as with most bloggers, they are taking every opportunity to “over achieve.” Though I’m jealous of their vacation time there, I do respect the work that they do. Judging rum has got to be a rough job!

But today, instead of holding onto my jealousy, I’m just going to jump right in and share some Sailor Jerry’s rum with you! That should make us all feel better right?

We are also going to dedicate this drink to the sailors who were killed or are still missing from the sinking of HMS Bounty and their families!

I have to admit, that while I’ve drank some copious amounts of rum with a hand full of the judges from the Rum XP program, I am NOT a rum judge... Well, at least not a qualified one. So as I share this rum with you, I’m also sharing my method of tasting a rum. (Perhaps some of the XP guys will jump in and give us some pointers some time!)

First, I pour about 2 oz of rum into clean and polished wine glass. To judge the color, I use a sheet of white paper because things like the TV or the crap scattered all over my desk distract the color. If I were smart, I’d do this during daylight hours so the sun could light my glass, but the living room light is going to have to do today. I would call the color a deep, rich amber. Although I could just as easily call it rum colored. I also might note that this rum is perfectly clear. There are no floaties or haze. I expect this from a distilled spirit... But ya never know!

The nose is of very sweet with strong vanilla and some nutmeg. The nutmeg is a little hard to pick up as the vanilla / alcohol aroma is so strong.

The first sip, at room temp, is very clean. The vanilla is much subdued in the flavor, and the nutmeg is paired with a bit of spice, perhaps cinnamon. There is an ever so subtle touch of clove just at the back of the palate as you swallow. There is a nice sweet flavor of lightly caramelized sugar, but without the sweetness.

Another interesting characteristic of this rum is that I keep tasting cola. No, I haven’t mixed it with a Coke, but I taste, mid sip, a distinct cola flavor. And I don’t know how or why. I don’t really know what flavors make “COLA” in my brain, but perhaps it’s just the vanilla and sugar.

The finish is very dry, perhaps intensified by the slightly above average alcohol burn. Most spirits are packaged at around 40% ABV, but the Jerry is 46%. But it’s pleasant.

This photo has absolutely no relevance to this post! ~Cheers

Further sips bring out the more intense flavors of caramel and the vanilla becomes a bit “Oakey” and less assertive on the nose.

If this rum were not making me happy, or seemed too complex to sort out, I might add a few ice cubes or a splash of water to help me sort out the flavors. But this one is pretty good as it is, so I’m leaving it alone!

Sailor Jerry is one of my favorite spiced rums, and has a solid spot in my rum collection. It’s usually pretty fairly priced, drinks nicely neat, with ice and water, or mixed with anything from ginger ale to Red Bull. So if you’re looking for a solid rum to try, this is a pretty easy one to like.

As for our friends in Granada... I hope they will be sharing their adventures with us very soon!